Dallas Cowboys Blog

Jason Garrett: Cowboys need to support Dez Bryant but also hold him accountable

IRVING – Before Monday’s practice, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett addressed the off-the-field guidelines that have been set for Dez Bryant.

Garrett said the Cowboys need to support Bryant, who agreed to the rules, like they would any other player in the organization. But Garrett added that the former first-round pick needs to be held accountable.

“We believe in player development,” Garrett said. “We believe in helping them as football players on the field, and as people off the field, and so what we’ve tried to do is come up with a plan for Dez like we would for any player who we feel like needs our support, and help him be his best, as a player and as a person.

“The accountability factor is an important part of that with him and with anybody on our football team.”

Garrett declined to get into specifics of the guidelines and which party made the first move.

“We’ve talked about his development since he’s come here as a person and as a player, and I just think he’s done a great job,” Garrett said. “He continues to grow in both of those areas. We need to help him. We need to support him. But again, we need to hold him accountable, and I think this is just an example of that.”

In regards to how the NFL might discipline Bryant for his July arrest after allegedly assaulting his mother, Garrett declined to go into detail because, as he said, that’s out of his control.

“We’re going to control what we can control as an organization,” Garrett said. “Dez has done everything that we’ve asked him to do up to this point both on and off the football field, and we’re going to continue to just move forward with what we can do as an organization and as individuals within the organization.”